11/26/2023
Lip and tongue ties
TOT Tethered Oral Tissues
Ankyloglossia
Often touted as a quick, easy procedure, it’s important to know laser procedure for ties IS surgery, creates a wound, leaves a permanent scar, and leaves oral trauma patterns in its wake.
Painful breastfeeding, failure for milk to come in, too much birth weight loss…. yes, we had all of the standard indicators with our son plus a pediatrician and 2 lactation consultants’ assessments confirming the presence of a lip and tongue tie. Referred to an ENT, we scheduled an initial consult knowing it would turn into laser surgery. My husband and I treated with diligence whole body (ties are indicative of whole body tightness!) and intraorally. Breastfeeding became easier and ni***es began to heal. ENT consult cancelled by us. Fast forward more than 4 years later we’ve found a dentist who specializes in ties and says “not every tongue tie needs surgical release!” She sends babies for bodywork first. Both she and her colleague’s assessment for our son was all oral development normal, palate has good width, tongue and lip both have normal mobility and baby teeth have come in straight with good spacing. This is all we needed to hear to have objective data that myofascial release works for ties.
*If the procedures have already been done for your babies, myofascial release is absolutely critical in aftercare to prevent and resolve adhesions at surgical sites, prevent reattachment of the tissue, address the full body tightness, and clear out trauma patterns from birthing and surgery. Babies and toddlers are separated from their parents to have these surgeries done. Mouths are forced open with instrumentation and then tissue surgically modified all while awake and fully conscious. We’ve had clients who had these surgeries as young babies and as toddlers have come to us with such oral aversion and holding patterns that they can’t brush their teeth until myofascial release to clear the trauma.
Are there times that genetic expression or unknowingly overdosing on folic acid during pregnancy leads to a situation requiring oral tissue surgery? Yes. But in our estimation this surgery has become far too common and frequent. With any non emergent situation, try myofascial release first!
In gratitude to all of the therapists who have had a hand in getting us to this point. Every stage and growth spurt needs concentrated treatment and we’ve been blessed with ongoing myofascial release intervention.
